My Facebook status yesterday referred to waiting around at the mailbox for camp letters. Over 15 years ago, long before wide spread emails, social networking and cell phone packages there were letters in my life.
Ward and I lived many miles apart and he was a non paid - hard working - over worked - never a minute off medical student. Sure we talked on the phone when he was near one and had a few minutes, but it was also way back when you still paid for each minute of those long distant calls (oh my... some months my phone bill was more than my rent). While I loved the phone calls I cherished the mail carrier bringing a hand written letter. Sometimes the letters were half a page long other times they were a dozen pages long. The pages were quickly worn as I would read and re-read over and over until the next one would arrive. I believe I probably even had a special box that would hold these letters.
I have been a letter or "note" writer for as long as I can remember (at least prior to the addition of the 2nd child) - Ward still teases me that I have boxes of letters from my high school era in my attic. Maybe I do, it's been a while since I have been up there myself but I'll take his word. I am not sure high school friends or sweethearts even write notes in class anymore given the texting options now, but it is such a shame. The thrill of not getting caught while passing a note, or the giddiness (is that a word?) of waiting by your locker for a note from the 15 year old "love of your life"! Anyway, as usual I am off subject.
On the boys list for camp "Stationary, Addressed Envelops and Stamps". I was thrilled. My boys would learn the art of letter writing in an era where text over shadow emails and stationary is a thing of the past. (I always stockpiled beautiful stationary.) In the days before camp I found them cute little blank colorful note cards and addressed the envelops to family. Davis is still very young and just learning to write and spell. Gage being older and my detailed child loves to journal so I figured he would enjoy the letter aspect of rest time at camp.
Fast forward a few days into camp. Truman and I am waiting for our mail carrier. She brought us 3 brightly colored letters. 2 from Davis which read:
"I got a white band" along with a picture of a white band.
Took me a few minutes but I figured out he was telling me about the level he had passed on his swim test. haha
the next letter from Davis read
"I love camp" and showed a picture of a stick man at an archery range.
(I can only assume that he had just finished at the range)
Gage's on the other hand was a little longer as he described what he had been eating, his new friend Spencer, what he had been eating, how many turtles he had seen, that he had loved the fried chicken, and that he was loving camp and the food!!
Neither of my boys signed their names or added what day it was.
Their grandmother said she had received a letter from davis that read something along the lines of
"I am at camp" - no name either....
At the end of the day I was thrilled - hand written letters from my boys who were having a blast. I was so excited and could not wait to sit down and email them their "bunk note" for the day! haha
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